Yesterday I worked in registration at the clinic in Santa Emilia. It was an amazing experience to talk to the people and counsel them about their problems. I had an amazing woman named Adriana helping me in this position. At first I was a little hesitant to use my Spanish with her there--was I not good enough to talk to them myself? Would no one understand my gringa Spanish? However, after several patients, I realized that Adriana was not there to judge my Spanish or to correct me, but to help me negotiate meaning among these amazing people. There is something intimidating about speaking to a foreigner about your problems, she told me. When I put myself in their shoes, I knew that I would not want to talk to a stranger either--how would I feel if some strange person tried to talk to me about my problems or about my baby? Together, we helped many people and I learned so much from her about compassion and patience. No teacher has ever been so patient with me.
When we were done with registration, Adriana asked me to go on a walk with her. On our walk through the village I learned so much from her about the nature and the people of this village. I am excited for this new friendship and all that I have and will continue to learn from this amazing, compassionate, and patient woman.
--Elsie Ratliff
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